1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus employing solvent for the ultra-sonic cleaning of film or similar strip material, and for reclaiming the solvent used to clean the film for subsequent reuse.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of high energy sound waves in a liquid medium for the cleaning of various materials is well-known in the film cleaning as well as other industries. In the film cleaning industry, the liquid medium used to conduct the sound waves to the film to be cleaned is itself a cleaning solvent. When such ultra-sonic cleaners are employed in the film industry, the most difficult problem to overcome is removing any cleaning solvent which adheres to the surface of the film after it emerges from the solvent bath. One means for removing such unwanted solvent is subjects the film to high pressure air directed at both sides of the film by appropriately designed air nozzles, the action of the air on the film surface literally stripping away the excess solvent and contaminant in non-evaporative fashion.
The action of such air on the film produces a mist of solvent in the immediate area surrounding the nozzles. The solvents employed in the film cleaning industry are of a nature such that such vapors could be dangerous to humans if inhaled in sufficient quantity for long periods of time. All presently employed devices for disposing of such vapors involve means for directing the fumes away from the atmosphere inhaled by cleaning apparatus operators, but eventually result in depositing the vapors into the atmosphere at another point.
Devices for reclaiming the solvent used to clean film are also known in the film cleaning industry. All such devices presently involve means for removing the contaminated solvent from the film cleaning apparatus and transporting same to a separate solvent reclaiming apparatus. After being purified by the separate solvent cleaning apparatus the solvent is then again transported back to the film cleaning apparatus. Two separate devices are thus required for the operations of cleaning the film and purifying the solvent, and frequently the transportation of solvent between the two devices must be done manually.